Red Roses
by ps01032160198913
Summary: And so, came more fireworks, continuously, relentlessly with lively colors, captivating the bright-eyed romantics underneath. "See, everything is alright." Spencer smiled softly in return. "We're fine, we're absolutely fine." [Sparia one-shot]


Inspired by this song called "Medicine" by Daughter. I can't stop listening to it and I had it on repeat as I was writing this. It just seemed like a perfect Sparia song. Also...this ended up very very differently than I imagined in my head, but I actually like it nonetheless; the genre feels sort of new to me. And this is actually the one story that I need to hear your review of it because...well, you'll see - so I'd appreciate it if you guys reply back, please. Thank you!

- Queen

* * *

_"You've got a warm heart,_  
_you've got a beautiful brain._  
_But it's disintegrating,_  
_from all the medicine."_

**June 1, 2012**

They met at Cece's party - which was an actual privilege, to be invited by an older, well-known figure. Spencer had her half-brother Jason to thank for that because if it wasn't for this particular party, she never would have met Aria. It wasn't a 'at first glance' type of meeting where one would expect sparks or fireworks, some sudden intense connection as most romantic films described, no it was not at all like that. It wasn't so much the feeling that drew Spencer in, it was the image. The vivid picture of Aria, out there on the fire escape, isolated and it seemed that it was by choice - her isolation. The smaller brunette was anything but average-looking, if she really wanted to, she could have left with the most handsome guy in the party, but as Spencer learned, Aria preferred the quiet.

"So, why come here in the first place?" Spencer had asked as she sat down next to Aria.

Aria took a moment to look up at the night sky, the dooming dark clouding over the city. Pitch black with a few glimmering dots here and there, disappearing and shooting across the space as if on schedule. Then she slowly turned to face Spencer and smiled softly.

"I don't know actually. I thought I'd..." Aria licked her lips. "Meet someone."

Spencer put her knees close to her chest, placing her chin on one knee, her head tilted in Aria's direction with tame sympathetic brown eyes fixed on her porcelain face.

"Well, there are more guys coming. It's still early." Spencer commented. "Jason's invited a few of his buddies, if knuckleheads are your type."

Aria chuckled under her breath and glanced back at the stranger beside her. "No, not my type." She simply said.

Furrowing her brow, Spencer stared at Aria as if she was not telling her something, and in fact, she wasn't, but then again, they had only met five minutes ago, Spencer did not expect her to spill all of her secrets in one sitting or even at all.

Below the fire escape, through the small gaps of the metal structures, Spencer and Aria noticed the blue and red blinding lights, spontaneously flashing all over the street.

"Is that the-" Spencer widened her eyes and the women exchanged glances. "Cops?" She whispered nervously.

"Who snitched?" Aria calmly asked.

"Why have a snitch when you can have the dullest tool in the shed for a brother-" Spencer muttered, receiving a curious look from Aria. "My half-brother. Unfortunately, he is not as slick as he thinks he is." Spencer stood up and looked down at Aria before offering her hand. "Coming?"

Aria bit her lower lip and smirked. "You really want to take the front door like everybody else when we're already out here on the fire _escape_?" She pointed out and her smirk turned into a playful grin.

"I think I just fell in love." Spencer joked and followed Aria who was climbing down the ladder with a shockingly impressive agility, especially for someone her size.

As their feet planted firmly on the wet hard ground, the two smiled at their success, and failed to notice that they were holding hands.

"Hey!" One of the cops shouted from the distance. "Hey! You two-"

Aria let out a short, excited laugh before pulling Spencer's hand and the women ran off, turning around the corner as the cop chased after them, only to let them go seeing as it was of no use, really.

After running a few blocks, Aria turned to another corner and paused to take a breath. She leaned against the wall as Spencer stood before her, laughing and panting heavily from the adrenaline rush.

"Please tell me you have a better plan." Spencer asked as Aria looked at her quietly, her smile disappearing from her face.

Stepping forward, Aria, with closed eyes, slightly opened her mouth and leaned in close to Spencer, aiming for her lips. Aria felt the split-second where she thought her lips would be locked with Spencer's by now, but as she opened her eyes, she realized that Spencer had stepped back, rejecting her kiss, and was now looking at her confusingly and in shock.

Aria moved back and pressed her lips together, feeling her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Sorry-I'm-I…" Aria stammered, her eyes pointed at the ground.

Sensing her stomach sinking, Aria shook her head at herself, finding whatever explanation useless. So, instead to spare herself from more embarrassment, she swiftly walked away, half-jogged to the next block, away from Spencer, and hoped, truly hoped that the taller brunette did not follow.

"Wait-" Spencer said, her hand flying, failing to catch Aria's arm and had caught the air instead. Trailing after her, Spencer sighed. "Wait, just wait! Please-" She stopped in her tracks, realizing that she did not even know the woman's name.

* * *

**July 4, 2012**

Tonight there were fireworks. Bright red, green, blue, gold, and so on all synchronously shooting out into the air to perform their act, shaping into various shapes, but as traditions remained, the final act was predictably in a shape of an American flag.

Aria walked across the plaza, her hands slipped comfortably into her thin sweatshirt pockets as she nonchalantly glanced at the skies each time the loud firing sound shot up in short intervals, signaling the next set of fireworks.

The plaza was crowded, as it usually was on Independence Day where people gathered around to watch the free show, with couples sharing intimacy without arrogance or malice, families savoring the beauty of what they stood for - together, bounded, living and in love.

Smelling the distinct scent wafting in front of her, Aria sighed heavily as the scent ruined the idea of peace in her head, reminding her that people still made bad decisions over and over again. But not tonight, Aria thought, she was not in the mood to let it go even though it seemed best if she did.

Turning back around, her eyes spotted the trace of the white smoke flowing in the air, Aria narrowed her eyes on the couple strolling leisurely, arm-to-arm and laughing. "Mind if you smoke your blunt somewhere else? There are kids around, you know?" She snapped, causing the female to turn around. "Oh f-" Aria bit her lower lip as she shied away from Spencer's eyes.

"Hey!" Spencer said loudly, her voice overlapping the sound of shots coming from the fireworks just a couple of blocks away. Beaming, Spencer unhooked her arm around her friend's arm, handed back the blunt, and approached Aria. "It's you!" She said with a grin.

"It's me." Aria said solemnly, now thinking only of the night they met which departed in a painful humiliation on Aria's part. She wrinkled her eyebrows and watched as Spencer turned around, gesturing something at her friend then a moment later, her friend continued to walk off without Spencer.

"Sorry..." Spencer walked to her with a wide toothy grin. "Now, where-"

"You're stoned." Aria pointed out and scoffed.

"No! No, no I'm not. I promise I'm not." Spencer instantly refuted with a laugh, but Aria gave her an unconvinced look. "I'm not, I promise." She repeated, less cheery this time.

"Whatever." Aria mumbled, placed her hands back into her pockets, and continued on with her walking as Spencer caught up beside her.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Spencer started, stealing a side glance.

Aria swallowed hard and nodded. "I was hoping you wouldn't."

"Oh, c'mon…" Spencer cut in. "Look, I'm sorry for…" She inhaled deeply.

"Don't be. It was my fault anyway, assuming…silly things-"

"It wasn't silly…and you weren't exactly wrong, you know? I just wished you hadn't run off without me explaining myself first." Spencer noticed Aria looking back at her questioningly now. "Yeah…" Spencer said with a shrug then saw that Aria had stopped walking.

"Then why did you step away?" Aria asked, needing more persuasion.

Spencer walked back to her. "Because..." She shrugged again. "You just took me by surprise, is all. I mean, you meet this attractive stranger who's fun and clearly has no problem running away from law enforcement, then she decides she wants to kiss you behind a dark alley, and you sort of end up thinking, wait is this really happening, does this beautiful creature actually want to kiss me right now or is she just about to make a mistake-I…I didn't know how to react." Spencer explained. "And when you said those guys weren't your type. I didn't realize you meant guys in general, not just knuckleheads." She let out a light chuckle and recoiled, in fear she would offend Aria.

"Well, it wasn't a mistake." Aria responded and heard the loud firing shot once again, making her look up to witness the colors.

Watching the colors reflecting in Aria's big soft eyes, Spencer could easily see the purple and red fireworks forming into perfect huge circles.

"If there is a next time, if by any chance you find it you to forgive me…" Spencer said as Aria gazed back at her now, tired of the flying colors. "I promise you I won't step away." She declared as they remained quiet for a moment.

Aria's lips curled into a timid smile, her hands balled into fists inside the pockets, and approached Spencer then tiptoed a bit, pressing her lips softly against hers. And so, came more fireworks, continuously, relentlessly with lively colors, captivating the bright-eyed romantics underneath.

* * *

**August 1, 2012**

"What's going on?" Aria questioned as she walked into their apartment that was visibly covered with thin smoke coming from the living room. She spotted a hand waving, Spencer's hand she could only assumed, and had beckoned her to come.

"Come and join us, please babe?" Spencer was getting up from the couch and surprised Aria with a tender kiss.

"Spencer, what the hell is all this…" Aria whispered, scanning the drugs spread out on the table; pills, roll-up papers, white powder, a surprising amount of weed in one bag, enough to get them a few years in prison.

"This here is Johnny-" Spencer sat back down next to Johnny. "And that one-" She squinted and burst out laughing because she could not remember the name. "That one in the green shirt is, umm-"

"Spencer-" Aria cut in. "Can we talk for a second, privately, in the hallway? Please, now?" Aria demanded and walked off without needing for an answer.

"Excuse me, boys. She's in a sour mood. She's not usually like this." Spencer told the guys.

Aria had her arms above her chest, gritting her teeth at the same time. Turning her head, Aria sighed at the sight of Spencer approaching her. "What the fuck, Spencer?" She let out angrily.

"What?!" Spencer responded in a high-pitch tone.

"Please tell me this isn't what you do while I'm gone." Aria shook her head. "Spencer, this isn't good, you realize don't you?" She went on.

"I know, I know-"

"Then why do you have these guys over?"

Spencer let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh there we go! Is that it? You're angry with me for bringing guys over?" She retorted as Aria drew her head back, perplexed by the accusatory remark.

"No, Spencer, I'm fucking _furious!_ Not because you're bringing guys over, no, oh please! You're smart enough to know that. The boys are far from why I'm angry!" Aria whispered harshly. "The fact that you'd bring all of those drugs into our apartment like it's fucking nothing! Since when did you do drugs?!"

"Look, I've been stressing out okay?!" Spencer spat back, throwing her hand in front of her. "Is it so wrong to just want to spend a day doing this? To unwind? Is it so wrong?"

"Oh, so, this is your first day _unwinding?_" Aria narrowed her eyes on her as Spencer drew her head back, sighing. "Is it? Is this the first time? Or have you been doing this every day, every time I'm out-"

"It's-" Spencer took a deep breath. "No, it's not the first time." She admitted.

Aria kept her eyes locked with hers. "I don't want this, Spence. I don't want any of it, I don't want you taking part of it. Please get rid of them."

"And if I don't?" Spencer asked softly, as it to challenge her. Aria looked at her with creased brow, hurt that Spencer would even try to provoke her.

"You don't need this, Spencer. Not you, especially not you." Aria explained. "But if you just can't give it up, then I'm done. I didn't agree to be with you just so I can watch you waste something beautiful." Aria declared. Aria was aware from the very beginning, since the 4th of July, she knew Spencer took a liking to the habit, but she didn't think Spencer would go this far.

"I'm sorry." Spencer finally said. "I'm sorry, you're right." She added and advanced, embracing Aria tightly. "What would I do without you, huh?" She whispered, smiling warmly.

* * *

**September 1, 2012**

Aria pressed the phone against her ear. "Are you sure?" She asked as she glanced at the set dining table.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll catch a cab. I'm sorry, everyone's really over piled with work. They're making us stay for a few more hours." Spencer checked the time; it was close to midnight.

"Oh alright…" Aria answered and sighed.

Spencer circled her finger around the mouth of the glass. "And Aria?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't wait up, okay? I can't guarantee when I'll be home so just…"

"Yes, yes, yes." Aria smiled. "Just come back in one piece. Please, and don't exhaust yourself. It's just a job." She heard Spencer letting out a soft chuckle before saying she loved her which Aria responded with the same words.

Listening to the dial tone, Aria placed the phone on the dining table before taking back the plates full of food, and regretfully threw them into the trash bin.

Chewing lightly on her lower lip, Spencer turned around, causing the bar stool to squeak a bit. A moment later, a bearded man from across the room cocked his head at her and she nodded, turned back to her drink and drank it empty.

Up to the hotel room, the bearded man opened the door for her and Spencer stepped in, immediately seeing Cece sitting up on the bed with her back leaning against the headboard, and Spencer's eyes focused on the thick rubber band tied around her upper arm, just in the middle where it bent, and a filled syringe in her hand. She watched on as Cece injected herself with ease.

"Johnny's just grabbing some ice from the machine." The bearded man said.

"I can't stay long." Spencer informed the bearded man who simply did a scoff and a snort at her comment.

* * *

**October 1, 2012**

"You threw it out? You threw all of it out?!" Spencer yelled. "You had no right!"

Aria crossed her arms above her chest, keeping her stance. "The hell I do! This is my house too, Spencer!" She retorted. "You've been lying to me." Aria countered.

"Do you not realize-" She moved closer to Aria, her face inches away, her voice in a whisper, intimidating although not to Aria. "How much I paid for the-" She explained slowly, condescendingly.

"What makes you think I give a flying fuck how much you've spent on it-" Aria interrupted. "You said you wouldn't do it anymore!"

Spencer clenched her jaw and balled her right hand into a fist. "You-"

"What?! I'm what, Spencer?! Say it!" Aria breathed heavily, her stance unwavering.

As they stared into each other's eyes coldly and unloving. It was as if they were two completely different person now - far from the ones who talked on the fire escape, the women who laughed and ran away from the law, who shared their first kiss under a colorful night. But in truth, they were actually just themselves - nobody was different than before, in fact they were exactly the same. It was the thought of their first meeting, the first greeting, the first conversation they shared which had left an impression that would stay until the end, that they were innocent of each other, naive to each other's flaws and secrets, and the ugly as everyone was from the start. The only truly difference between them was that they actually knew of each other, and perhaps that was their mistake.

And yet they loved each other as they always had, cared for one another just as equally as they had from the start. How could everything feel so different when everything stayed so constant?

"Fuck! Fuck!" Spencer shouted, screaming her frustration out, aimed at no one, not even at Aria because Spencer knew deep down, Aria was right. This hobby, this addiction would be her downfall, and she refused to admit that - too clouded by the knowledge of the finite yet so potent euphoria it brought her. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Spencer continued as she headed to their bedroom, and Aria had jumped a bit from the sound of the door slamming shut.

Swallowing hard, Aria pursed her lips to the side, looking up at the ceiling as she blinked repeatedly as to hold back her tears. Moments later, Aria heard Spencer coming out of the room with her bags.

"What are you doing?" Aria asked.

Spencer looked back, her chin tipped up in defiance. "I don't know why I didn't do this months ago." Spencer admitted. "You had your chance, you said it over and over again, but you're still here. So, why are you still here?!" Spencer pointed out.

"Because I feel responsible!" Aria admitted. "Who would take care of you if I leave?"

"I never asked you to take care of me, Aria." Spencer replied.

"You didn't have to ask! You shouldn't have to ask! That's the whole fucking point of _being_ with someone!" Aria retorted then paused to take a breath. "Please, Spencer, I don't want you to get hurt. Just stay, stay please. You don't need any of those things. I just don't want to see you get hurt." She finished, her voice softer.

"If that's what you wanted for me in the first place…then you should never have agreed to be with me." Spencer let out.

With her face falling, Aria stared back quietly and swallowed hard for a moment. "How can you say that?" Aria whispered.

"It's true." Spencer said solidly.

"So, you're leaving? It's _you_ who's leaving? Spencer…" Aria shook her head.

"Oh, don't blame me for doing this! You would have done the same if you just had the guts. But I don't think you can leave even if you wanted to. That's your problem, not mine." Spencer shrugged at her. "Look at it as a favor, it's me stepping away. That's how it always works with us, right?" She reminded her.

Aria stared, feeling the dampness of her wet flustered cheeks as Spencer ambled her way to the door.

* * *

**November 1, 2012**

Aria rested on her back, pulled the blankets up to her torso, shivering from the cold, but half an hour would pass, and she would be burning up, and all she wanted to do was bathe in ice cold water. It started two days ago, when the snow storm hit their area, she had gotten a visit from a cold that had viciously turned into a fever, now into something else that prevented her from sleeping. How she wished she had a better immune system.

Aria reached for the nightstand, grabbing her phone and dialed Spencer's number like a reflex. It was only an hour before midnight, Aria knew there was no way in hell Spencer was already asleep.

Breathing heavily, Aria sniffed and listened to the ringing. "Pick up…" She said in a whisper. "Please…Spencer, please pick up." She begged quietly, needing to talk to her, dying to know that she was out there, sounding well and alive even after a month of no contact; it would give Aria some peace of mind as she remained in bed sick.

Pulling the phone out of her pocket, Spencer stood outside her friend's building as she warmed herself up with a cigarette between her lips, and the phone pressed against her ear listening to the message as the cold breeze stung her exposed cheeks. She hated winter, despised how the skinny dead trees were bent, burdened by the weight of the imposing snow. And she hated the cold, how it made everyone move slower, sluggish, essentially getting hopeless by each step, discouraging them from stepping outside in the first place. Winter was simply death in disguise.

"Hey Spence…it's me. I know it's been a while. I just-" Aria took a ragged breath. "I just wanted to see if you were okay. I mean, I'm hoping at least one of us is…yeah is it obvious?" Aria forced a chuckle to lighten the mood. "I'm down with a cold or a fever…" Another forced chuckle. "I don't know, I guess a little bit of both, that makes sense right, that's possible? Anyway, I'm home, under the weather. Spencer? Please call back if you can. I can't sleep. Maybe we can talk? Not now obviously, but when you're free or once I get better, let's have coffee and maybe have a small talk, can we do that? I need-" The voicemail beeped once again, cutting her off.

Spencer thought of Aria from time to time, as a reminder that the small brunette was an actual person, and not merely a figment of her imagination. That was mainly the point of her thinking of Aria, to reassure herself that she was still sane even with the drugs, the fun and the hysterics it caused, putting it all beside, Aria was the only one that seemed real, the one that made sense, permanent and constant, and reminded more importantly that Spencer was capable of loving or rather she had attempted to love, despite her failure in it, caused and defeated by her own needs.

Sighing to herself, Aria clicked off the phone and tossed it on the floor. She glanced at the nightstand, a bottle of sleeping pills to aid her. She then reached for it and twisted the lid weakly, yearning for a good night's sleep. The pills came spilling out into her palm, emptying the bottle, and Aria wolfed them down dryly, too exhausted to grab the glass of water on the stand.

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting." Ian Thomas stepped out, leaving snow prints on the porch steps.

Spencer took the effort to feign a smile as she threw the cigarette away. "Where's Johnny?" She asked the unfamiliar man in front of her, and immediately, she knew he was coked out of his mind, noticed how his eyes danced frantically and his posture jittery.

"Oh, Johnny…" Ian smacked his lips together. "He's got a cold." He told Spencer.

"Cold?" Spencer repeated. "He sounded fine this morning…"

Ian looked at her for a moment and figured she was completely unaware. "Umm, look I don't want you to freak out or anything when I tell you this, but Johnny's dead..he died this afternoon." Ian looked at her, studying her face once again. "I thought you knew. I thought I'd at least tell you out of respect."

Spencer widened her eyes. "What? How? Johnny's gone?…what happened?"

"He just…took too much. He wasn't careful, he got reckless and greedy. But-but I promise you, it's not gonna happen to you, if that's what you're thinking." Ian reassured her. "I know what I'm doing. You can trust me. I promise." He raised his hand, then pressed it against his chest, swearing.

Noticing the dry blood in his hand, Spencer cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, I just-" Spencer took a breath. She had learned not to trust any more promises, not even hers, knowing they had the tendency to fall apart; they withheld no power over anything regardless of the person making it. "Actually, I'm-I think I'm gonna take a rain check. It doesn't seem right today with Johnny being gone and all, plus it's pretty late. I'm sorry." She told him as Ian rolled his head to the side with clear disappointment.

"Oh, c'mon, sweetheart..don't be like that. Fuck Johnny!" Ian remarked, throwing his hands as Spencer began to walk away.

* * *

**November 2, 2012**

The blankets covered her curled lower body, leaving her neck and up exposed to the freezing season. Aria's fingers gripped around the sleeping aid bottle, hidden under the covers. Time slowed in this room, resembling a lovelorn soul who longed for the past, and for its requited love, seemingly unable to move on, unwilling to move on.

As the lamp provided some dim lighting, the room appeared to be disintegrating, soon to be hollow from life as the medicine traveled through Aria's bloodstream.

Here, it would take place, the final act, the curtains closing as the audience threw red roses, a solace gesture, for Aria's unwell heart as it gave its last beat.

* * *

**November 1, 2012**

Ian growled from the back of his throat. "I swear if you don't get the fuck back here!" Ian bellowed.

"Leave me the hell alone. I said I don't wanna do it anymore! Prick…" Spencer retorted and looked back and saw Ian closing in. "What the hell are you-" Spencer began to say before Ian grabbed her from behind, his huge hand covering her mouth and his other arm wrapped around her petite frame, pulling her back with him.

"You don't just fucking toss me aside like I'm some piece of trash-" Ian angrily muttered as Spencer squirmed, attempting to get out of his strong hold. "If you think you're gonna get away with that, you're fucking mistaken." He added, whispering harshly in her ear and continued to drag her back to the building.

Spencer's cries were muffled by his hand and she swung her arm back, hitting him near the ribs. Ian's hand moved up to her neck, tightening his grip around it.

Biting his hand, Spencer continued to thrash as Ian continued to drag her up the steps and they fell back.

"You fuckin-" Ian groaned and flipped her over, allowing himself to tower over her, both of his hands around her neck. "My time-" Ian clenched his teeth together. "Is fucking valuable!" He hissed at her, narrowing his eyes on Spencer as he continued to tighten his grip around her neck, imprinting his fingers on her skin until Spencer gradually stopped struggling underneath him, the light in her eyes dimming, vanishing, leaving her lifeless body lying against the sheet of snow.

"Hey!" Ian whispered, glanced around him and looked back at Spencer once again. "Hey-" He loosened his hands around her neck and furrowed his brow while shaking her by the shoulder. Licking his lips nervously, Ian got off, freeing her from his weight and shot her a petrified glance before running off.

* * *

**November 2, 2012**

Idling in her car, shaky and anxious, Spencer examined the road that was covered in white and empty of pedestrians. It looked like the apocalypse, felt like it was her last night on Earth, perhaps it was in a way. After the terror had set in, Spencer coughed lightly and subdued her cries, her throat burning from Ian's grip. And with that, she vowed not to go anywhere near the falsified paradise she smoked, injected, inhaled. Was she so stubborn that it had to take death to convince her that it was no good, what she was doing for months?

Spencer gripped on the steering wheel, contemplating her next destination. Where else would she go? There was a deep necessity in her, telling her to atone, to confess, and to go back to the only one who actually cared for her. Reaching for her bag, Spencer grabbed her phone and saw her name on the voicemail, needing to hear it again. There was a twinge inside of her upon seeing Aria's name on the screen, it was as if Aria knew all along.

Playing the voicemail for the second time, Spencer broke out into a smile and drove as she listened to Aria's message.

Ten minutes after midnight, Spencer stepped into the old apartment, saw how it had not changed much other than a few clutter in one corner, but she took delight in the old furniture still positioned in the same place. Heading for the bedroom, Spencer leaned against the door and took a moment to appreciate this image - Aria sleeping soundly in their bed. But something was different. It wasn't the bedsheets, or the lamp they had bought together that was still on the same nightstand, not even the aspirin, the box of tissue, or the glass of water beside the lamp. Spencer furrowed her brow and sensed something out of place as if time had stopped, and silence swallowed the room, mourning over the unknown.

Ambling her way to Aria, Spencer sat on the edge of the bed and took Aria's hand. "Aria? I got your call." Spencer said, holding her hand tightly. "Sorry, I didn't check it earlier-I was…" She lowered her brow and glanced down at Aria's hand which was cold and limp. Spencer leaned closer to Aria's face, turned her head and tried to listen to her breathing.

Spencer quickly shot up from the bed. "Aria?" She breathed, tore the blankets off and saw an empty bottle of sleeping pills. "Hey, hey…" She grabbed Aria's shoulders, giving it a light shake. "Oh fuck, please don't do this-" She pressed her hand against Aria's neck, searching for a pulse. "No, c'mon, not you, babe, not you. Fuck!" She pulled her hand back and stepped away, suppressing her cries. "No…" She whispered and covered her mouth.

Spencer did not believe in bad karma, but if this was it, it was the spiteful and unfair. Aria who told Spencer over and over again to take care of herself, the one who put her best effort in trying to save a life ended up being the one who needed saving. And Spencer knew this was all a shattering accident, for she knew Aria appreciated being alive and did not think to off herself, not even in her darkest days, so why, Spencer wondered why was this person in bed, bereft of life? And the only explanation to it was that life had decided to teach her a painful lesson by robbing her of the one person that mattered most.

After slightly composing herself, she returned to Aria, placed both hands on her chest and began to perform resuscitation. "C'mon, this isn't fair. That's not fair, Aria. Fuck, come back. You can't do that to me!" Spencer pushed down as hard as possible, angrily and desperate and gave up, burying her head beside Aria. Then in an instant, Spencer heard Aria gasping for breath so she pulled back to look at her. She licked her lips and looked at Aria everywhere, in disbelief that she was here, now - that they were both here.

"Wha…Spence..." Aria breathed out, her arms flinging around Spencer's neck, pulling her down with her for an embrace as Spencer sighed with relief.

"I thought you were gone." Spencer confessed.

"I thought you were too." Aria whispered back.

Finally, after a while, they pulled away and Aria sat up, touching the side of Spencer's face then she furrowed her brow at the foreign marking. "What happened here?" Aria asked as she touched Spencer's neck, tracing the red marking of a hand. "Did someone hurt you?" Aria went on and moved Spencer's head to check the other side, same identical marking of fingers. "Spencer…"

"Shh, don't worry about it. You're fine now, and I'm back." Spencer gazed at Aria's smile. "See, everything is alright." Spencer smiled softly in return. "We're fine, we're absolutely fine."


End file.
